Mounting bracket



Jan. 24, 1939. :fnf c. MacFADDEN MOUNTING BRACKET Filed Feb- 25, 1956 llllllulll- 'IIIIIIIIII Invenof Z 'Wi/fard /Kcidde/l Cil Patented Jan. 24, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOUNTING BRACKET Application February 25, 1936, Serial No. 65,657

4 Claims.

My invention aims to provide improvements in mounting brackets, such as are used for securing electrical units to a support, and for installations of the same.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates preferred embodiments of my invention:-

Fg. l is a fragmentary plan view of an electrical installation showing a shield can or a condenser, coil or like, such as used in a radio set, secured to a support by means of my improved mounting brackets;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l; Y

Fig. 3 is a front view oi the mounting bracket shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the bracket shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a rear view oi' the bracket shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is an end view of a modiiled form of the mounting bracket;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary plan view of an electrical installation showing a part secured to a support by means of my modiiled form of mounting bracket;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 8--8 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a side view of the bracket shown in Figs.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a mounting bracket for securing an electrical or the like unit to a support which is so constructed and arranged that it may be attached to supports of varying thicknesses.

Other uses and objects of my invention will be apparent from consideration of the following description. Referring rst to the embodiment of my'invention, as illustrated in Figs. l and 2, I have shown my improved mounting bracket I having one end rigidly secured to an electrical unit, such as the device 2, which may be a coil, a condenser or the like, by an attaching means, such as the nut and screw means 3. The other end of the bracket I is shown in snap fastener engagement with the undersurface 4 of a relatively thin support 5 which is provided with apertures 6 at predetermined points thereon to receive the attaching end of the bracket. A spring arm portion I2, formed integral with the bracket I, is in spring engagement with the upper surface 1 of the support.

Referring specifically to the mounting bracket I, I have villustrated in Figs. 3-5 a one-piece` bracket member made from a strip of relatively thin sheet metal. An aperture 8 is provided at one end 9 to receive an attaching member, such as a screw, for securing the bracket to the unit with which it is to be assembled. The opposite end of the bracket is cut out, as at I0, providing a pair of yieldabie arm portions Il-II which converge toward each other at their lower ends.

'I'he spring arm I2 is vformed integral with the end 9 and extends downwardly therefrom between the yieldable portions II-II. The arm I2, as best illustrated in Figs. 2.and 4, curves inwardly out of the plane of the yieldable portions on one side lthereof and then outwardly through the plane to form a bearing portion I3 adjacent to the free end of the arm and located on the other side of the yieldable portions from the inwardly-curved part of the arm.

In my preferred form the outer edges of the material adjacent to the free ends of each of the yeldable portions I I-I I are shaped and arranged to provide a head portion I4, having a camming surface for forcing the yeldable arms toward each other, and a shoulder portion I5. y

When the parts of the installation are assem bled together, the end of the bracket having the aperture 8 is iirst rigidly secured tothe unit 2 by .the screw means 3. The screw passes through the .aperture 8 and an aperture I6 in the unit casing, after which a nut is secured therewith for holding the parts in assembled relation, as illustratedginjfig. 2. I do not wish, however, to be limited by the particular method of attaching the parts'together which I have recited above because other means, such as a rivet pressed from theend 9, would provide a satisfactory fastening device in many cases. Afterv the plate is secured to the unit, the'yieldable arms are moved into the aperture Ii by a direct axial'movement and as the apertures are made small enough so as to cause the material surrounding the same to engage the cammed surface of the head portion I4, the converging ends of the yieldabie portions II--II move toward each other permitting the arms to extend through the aperture until they head portions I4 have passed entirely through the aperture. After this action, the arm portions II--II spring back toward normal position enabling the shoulders I5 to engage the material of the undersuriace .4 of the support.

At the time that the head portions u are first inserted into the aperture 6, the lowermost surface of the portion I3 adjacent tothe free end of the arm I2` bears upon the upper surface 1 of the support due to the fact that the portion I3 is originally constructed to be disposed` in predetermined position relative to the-head portions I4. As the head portions I4 are moved through the aperture 6- so that the` camming surfaces engagethe walls surrounding/the aperture, the portion I3 will be forced inannpward direction, and as the heads are moved into liflnal position with the shoulders'Ili engaging and-'locking with the undersurface of the'siipuporigthey portion, il will press tightly against the support' thereby engaging in a spring contact the upper surface 4* of the support (Figs.I `1 and 2) and cooperating with4 the shoulders I5-I5 to hold the bracket rmly in place. The bracket is now located in snap fastener engagement with the support and may be separated therefrom only by squeezing together the lowermost ends of the yieldable portions II-II. The arm I2 is made suiiiciently yieldable so that the brackets may be attached to supports having varying'thicknesses, and a satisfactory steadying means for the unitis provided due to the fact that when the brackets are assembled with any one of the supports having varying thicknesses, the mounting brackets are in contact engagement with both sides of the suDDort.

In Figs. 6-9 I have shown a modified form of mounting bracket for use in connection with an electrical unit substantially as shown and described in the iirst form of my invention. The bracket is preferably provided with an aperture I1 at an end I8 to receive a screw I9 for attaching the bracket to the unit, in the manner described, in connection with the first form of my invention. The opposite end of the bracket is cut out, as at 20 (Fig. '7) Vto form the yieldable arm portions 2I-2I which are provided with head portions 22 at their free ends. The head portions 22 are similar in construction to the heads I4 of the rst form and operate in the same manner to engage shoulders 23 with the undersurface 4 of the support (Fig. 7). A lug 24 is formed integral with the material of the end I8 and disposed between the yieldable portions 2 I 2|. 'Ihis lug includes a portion bent at substantially right angles to the plane of the bracket and extending into an aperture 25 in the unit casing, as shown in Fig. 8, thereby preventing any rotation of one part relative to another, Spring arms 26-26 extend downwardly from the end I8 and, in my preferred form, are disposed on opposite sides of the yieldable portions 2I-2I (Fig. 7). The arms 26--26 are formed of flat stripsA of metal, each of which is integral with the material adjacent to opposite edges of the end I8 and disposed with the iiat surface of each at substantially right-angular relation thereto. The arms continue. beyond the end I8 and curve laterally away from the yieldable portions 2| with the flat surface of each in substantially perpendicular relationr to the plane of the bracket. 'Ihe arms are curved more abruptly at a point near the free ends to form a bearing part 21.

When the camming surface of thehead portions 22. engage the walls surrounding the aperture 6, during attachmentof the unit to the support, a portion of each of the parts 21 engage the upper surface 1 of the support and are forced upwardly until the head portions 22 have passed entirely through the aperture 6 'and the shoulders 23 are in engagement with the undersurface 4 of the support. At this time the part 21 expands as a result o1' the spring action in. the respective arms 26-26 to engage the support in a spring contact (Fig. 7) in substantially the same manner as illustrated and described inconnection with the part I3 of the first form of bracket. The brackets are now firmly secured with the support and provide an excellent steadying means for the unit which they carry as they have firm contacting engagement with each side of the support. The secondA form of mounting bracket, as described, is as adaptable as the rst form for attachment to supports ditchvar'y in thickness.

By the use o1' my improved mounting brackets',

I have made it possible for electrical units to be engaged with, and disengaged from, a support by an efficient means capable of direct axial operation with the result that assembly and disassembly oi' the parts are carried out with a minimum of labor. Furthermore, my improved mounting brackets are of such simple construction that they are capable of being manufactured in large quantities at small expense.

Although I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby, because the scope of my invention is best set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A mounting bracket of the class described having mounting means adjacent to one end, the other end having yieldable portions movable toward and away from each other, said yieldable portions having laterally-extending shoulder portions, and a spring armintegral with said first end, said arm having a support-engaging por-` n tion movable away from said shoulders against the spring tension of said arm, and said shoulders and said support-engaging portion of said arm cooperating to contact opposedsurfaces of a support.

portions, a pair of spring arms integral with saidy bracket disposed on opposite sides of said bracket, said arms curving laterally away from each other and having support-engaging portions movable away from said shoulders against the spring ten-I sion oi said respective arms, said shoulders and said support-engaging portions of said arms co-` operating to contact opposed surfaces of a support. l

3,'A mounting bracket of thev class described comprising a nat sheet metal body portion hav- -ing mounting means adjacent to one end, the

other end being divided longitudinally of the bracket to provide a pair of yieldable portions movable toward and away from each other, said yieldable portions having shoulder portions, and a pair of spring arms integral with said bracket disposed on opposite sides of said body portion, said arms curving laterally away from each other andhaving support-engaging portions movable away from said shoulders against the spring tension of said respective arms, said arms having broad surfaces disposed in substantially perpendicular relation to the plane of said body portion, and said shoulders and said support-engaging portions cooperating to contact opposed surfaces of a support,

4. A mounting bracket of the class described having mounting means adjacent to one end, the other end having a pair oi' yieldable portions movable toward and away from each other, said yieldable portions having laterally-extending shoulder portions, and a spring arm integral with said rst end, said arm having a support-engaging portion located in a plane passing between said pair of yieldable portionsand being movable WILFORD C. MACFADDEN.

laterallyextending 

